A visit to P.S. (Palm Springs) last weekend is worthy of 2 separate blogs. One would be about the joy of being with two girlfriends and having such fun in the salt water pool and jacuzzi and drinking my new favorite blender drink, and laughing so hard about EVERYTHING.....the other one is this one first......discovering the Tacquitz Trail in the San Jacinto Mts. with Luce, just blocks away from the inn where I stayed with my friends. 
I had been running for about an hour, early Sunday morning hoping to get closer to the gorgeous mtns. that beckoned me to draw closer. I found a street at the end of the neighborhood and followed it to its dead end at the foothills. AHA! A trail head appeared. I saw two guys just ahead who had started climbing minutes before I arrived. I had no water with me, but I'd snatched a quick yogurt breakfast, some o.j. and a big drink of water an hour before. The trail was so inviting and promised spectacular views and the weather was mild. I walked just a few steps to get a feel and see if I felt comfortable solo. A car door opened then closed nearby. I waited to see who might also be heading onto the trail. That's when a senior lady appeared, in hiking gear and hat. "May I walk with you?, I asked." This is my first time here. If I'd known this trail was around the corner I'd have started earlier and brought water!" She smiled up at me and said "Sure!" Oh lucky me! We exchanged names a bit later as we headed up a tight single track looping around the corners and taking us at a fast clip straight up. Luce was timing her ascent to her favorite spot. She said it had been awhile since she'd hiked here and she wanted to be sure she wasn't slowing down. Ha! I was the one huffing and puffing keeping up with her. Soon I followed her careful footfalls and her pace and relaxed and enjoyed the hike. I decided to be comfortable without water as the temp. was being kind and I was following an 82 yr. old experienced hiker who seemed cool as can be and totally relaxed and trusting of the area.
The two guys seen earlier had taken a wrong turn and had to backtrack. They came up behind us and had a great sense of humor in meeting us and taking our pix. Luce seemed to be attracting all kinds of new friends this morning. Bruce rhymed his name with Luce...but I can't remember the other guys name ....'cuz it didn't rhyme with mine!!
Luce educated me about the Desert Apricot Mallow flower...and showed me the distant view of the Salton Sea...."see that mist out there.....". We talked about the history of the trail, more flowers, environmental causes, her conservationist ideals, the ignorance of ignorant people (those are my words), misusing, and abusing the trail by not staying ON the proper trail. I commented that sometimes people don't SEE what's right in front of their eyes! Luce said, "If you are witnessing, you are in it." I thought that was so profound I recorded it on my phone so as not to forget.
As we were heading back down from our ascent, Luce pointed out the spots on the trail where she usually runs down. Excuse me? Oh yes, she said, but not today since she was getting her hiking legs back. I watched her foot strikes, her pace , her evenness in negotiating the unevenness of wilderness trail and marveled at her delicate pace while never once doubting her steps. No hiking poles; which I'm so dependent on. Luce was all grace and beauty, just like the sturdy, gentle beauty of the wildflowers holding court all along my morning hike. Thank you Luce, for the ride back to the inn! You were right...I was done~~~~~I'll look you up on my next visit~~~~~~
I had been running for about an hour, early Sunday morning hoping to get closer to the gorgeous mtns. that beckoned me to draw closer. I found a street at the end of the neighborhood and followed it to its dead end at the foothills. AHA! A trail head appeared. I saw two guys just ahead who had started climbing minutes before I arrived. I had no water with me, but I'd snatched a quick yogurt breakfast, some o.j. and a big drink of water an hour before. The trail was so inviting and promised spectacular views and the weather was mild. I walked just a few steps to get a feel and see if I felt comfortable solo. A car door opened then closed nearby. I waited to see who might also be heading onto the trail. That's when a senior lady appeared, in hiking gear and hat. "May I walk with you?, I asked." This is my first time here. If I'd known this trail was around the corner I'd have started earlier and brought water!" She smiled up at me and said "Sure!" Oh lucky me! We exchanged names a bit later as we headed up a tight single track looping around the corners and taking us at a fast clip straight up. Luce was timing her ascent to her favorite spot. She said it had been awhile since she'd hiked here and she wanted to be sure she wasn't slowing down. Ha! I was the one huffing and puffing keeping up with her. Soon I followed her careful footfalls and her pace and relaxed and enjoyed the hike. I decided to be comfortable without water as the temp. was being kind and I was following an 82 yr. old experienced hiker who seemed cool as can be and totally relaxed and trusting of the area.
The two guys seen earlier had taken a wrong turn and had to backtrack. They came up behind us and had a great sense of humor in meeting us and taking our pix. Luce seemed to be attracting all kinds of new friends this morning. Bruce rhymed his name with Luce...but I can't remember the other guys name ....'cuz it didn't rhyme with mine!!
Luce educated me about the Desert Apricot Mallow flower...and showed me the distant view of the Salton Sea...."see that mist out there.....". We talked about the history of the trail, more flowers, environmental causes, her conservationist ideals, the ignorance of ignorant people (those are my words), misusing, and abusing the trail by not staying ON the proper trail. I commented that sometimes people don't SEE what's right in front of their eyes! Luce said, "If you are witnessing, you are in it." I thought that was so profound I recorded it on my phone so as not to forget.
As we were heading back down from our ascent, Luce pointed out the spots on the trail where she usually runs down. Excuse me? Oh yes, she said, but not today since she was getting her hiking legs back. I watched her foot strikes, her pace , her evenness in negotiating the unevenness of wilderness trail and marveled at her delicate pace while never once doubting her steps. No hiking poles; which I'm so dependent on. Luce was all grace and beauty, just like the sturdy, gentle beauty of the wildflowers holding court all along my morning hike. Thank you Luce, for the ride back to the inn! You were right...I was done~~~~~I'll look you up on my next visit~~~~~~
